GRAND RAPIDS — Scores for West Michigan schools on the 2013 Michigan Educational Assessment Program tests were a mixed bag across Kent and Ottawa counties.

School districts generally saw proficiency improvements, but there still is plenty of room for growth in scores that were released Friday. The tests administered in October 2013 covered math and reading in grades three through eight, plus writing in grades four and seven, science in grades five and eight and social studies in grades six through nine.

Except for social studies, statewide performance on the MEAP exams has generally been improving over the past few years, according the Michigan Department of Education.

“The focus of all local school districts, regardless of whether they are high poverty or affluent, should be on continued improvement,” said Rockford Superintendent Mike Shibler. “You can always do better. This test is just one factor of many that’s an indicator of where you are as a district.”

There were no giant shifts in scores in the Kent or Ottawa Intermediate School districts. The biggest proficiency gains for area schools were in eighth-grade reading scores, which increased in Kent from 69.3 percent in 2012 to 73 percent in 2013, and in Ottawa from 75.1 percent in 2012 to 81.6 percent in 2013.

The biggest decline in reading proficiency for both ISDs was in third-grade scores, which fell in Kent from 69.1 percent in 2012 to 65 percent in 2013. But third-grade math scores remained the same as in 2012 at 42.7 percent. In Ottawa, third-grade reading scores fell from 78.8 percent to 74.7 percent, while third-grade math was up from 53.2 percent to 55.5 percent.

West Godwin Elementary’s third-graders saw the biggest proficiency gains in third-grade reading among schools in Kent or Ottawa counties, leaping from 42.2 percent in 2012 to 74.1 percent in 2013. Godwin Heights schools third-grade reading was up overall, increasing districtwide from 50.90 percent to 69.20 percent.

Statewide proficiency rates in math and reading have trended upward since 2010, with only third-grade performance declining slightly from a decade ago. Students math performance is up, with proficiency rates increasing in all grades in the past four years, but for other subjects, results are more mixed, like in West Michigan.

There is proposed state legislation to prevent school districts from promoting students to fourth grade if they aren’t proficient in reading on the state’s standardized tests.

“Continued focus on reading skills starting from the youngest ages will help every child reading at grade level by the end of third grade,” said State Superintendent Mike Flanagan. “We need to invest more in early childhood and at-risk programming to keep moving the needle on reading proficiency.’’

Forest Hills’ Goodwillie Elementary fifth-graders were perfect in reading with 100 percent proficiency, up from 96.1 percent in 2012.

While still below proficiency targets districtwide, Grand Rapids schools did see improvements in 10 of 18 categories. The district only hit 50 percent proficiency in two categories, fifth- and sixth-grade reading.

The biggest proficiency gain was in seventh-grade math, increasing from 13 percent in 2012 to 21.9 percent in 2013. Seventh-grade reading and writing also were up, to 40.2 percent and 31.3 percent, respectively. There also were slight gains in eighth-grade math, reading and science between 0.50 to 2.9 percent. The district’s test-in schools continue to perform among the best in the state, while the lowest scores districtwide were in eighth grade science, which increased slightly from 5.8 percent to 6.3 percent in 2013.

“Our MEAP results show mixed results, with some high points as well as areas of concern,” said Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal. “This one-size-fits-all test that is administered in the fall is not the most fair and accurate representation of the true student growth and achievement.

“We applaud Gov. Snyder, the state Legislature, and the (state department of education) for recognizing the shortcomings of the MEAP and making strides to change the test and move it to the spring.”

With the new Common Core State Standards, Flanagan said a newly aligned assessment will replace the MEAP. He also said there is a move to a more-rigorous teacher certification test designed to ensure educators have the highest level of knowledge in their content areas.

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